First batch of PPGA students graduate
The inaugural batch of 71
students from NTU’s PPGA
programme have attained
their degrees
Adele Chiang
Syed Muhammad Faris
NTU’s pioneer batch of Public Policy and Global Affairs (PPGA) students graduated in July as part of
the Class of 2017.
The Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
in PPGA was introduced in 2013
under the School of Humanities
and Social Sciences.
It aims to nurture the next generation of public policy-makers
with a focus on public administration and international relations in
its curriculum.
Before its inception, students
were only offered a Minor in Public
Administration.
To date, 2,700 students have
taken courses in politics and public administration. More than 100
have graduated with a Minor in
Administration.
A degree in PPGA was offered
in response to its rising popularity
among students.
In recent years, there has been
a spike in the number of students
who bidded for PPGA modules in

NTU’s first batch of PPGA students graduated in July this year.
GRAPHIC: REYNARD ADRIANTO

the Students Automated Registration System, said Associate Chair
(Academic) and Acting Head of
PPGA Yohanes Eko Riyanto.
“It was then that we realised we
were ready to offer PPGA as a fullfledged major,” he added.

Good job prospects

Valedictorian Koh Phay Chung was
one of the 71 PPGA students who
graduated this year.
Koh said that graduating as a
student of the pioneer batch was a
“defining moment” for him.

“We are a part of the first and
only public policy undergraduate
course offered in NTU,” said the
25-year-old.
While most students may be
sceptical of enrolling into a new
course, Koh was impressed with
what PPGA had to offer.
He chose PPGA because of its
nature as an “applied form of political science”.
Koh added that he acquired important skills from the course and
attributed this to the school’s focus
on team-based learning.

Examples of team-based learning include participating in seminar dicussions and role-playing
during in-class tasks.
“Team-based learning hones
your communication skills by engaging you on diverse levels of
communication,” said Koh.
These levels of communication
range from small group discussions
to class presentations. Students
also have the opportunity to lead
seminar discussions, he added.
Koh said that the skills he acquired will open many doors of
opportunities for him and his peers.
“I feel very optimistic. There are
many (career) possibilities for us,”
he said.
Graduate Caren Tso is also positive about her job prospects.
Said the 22-year-old: “The possibilities are quite extensive given
that you can work in both the private and public sector (with a degree in PPGA).”
“We can work in the government
affairs department in private firms
or in policy planning departments
in the public sector,” added Tso.

Improving the curriculum

While the pioneer batch of PPGA
students celebrates their graduation, Mr Riyanto noted that there is
still room for improvement in the
current curriculum.
“We would like to enhance the

multidisciplinary elements of the
programme by allowing students
to take modules beyond PPGA and
count them towards their major requirements,” he said.
A collaboration with the Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) is also in the works.
RSIS offers PPGA-related programs at the postgraduate level.
Mr Riyanto said that this collaboration will provide students with
“a wider perspective on issues related to public policy-making and
global relations”.
NTU’s PPGA course consists of
two components – public policy
and public administration as well
as international relations – setting
it apart from other local universities offering similar courses.
“Currently, no other universities
in Singapore offer a major blending of these two elements,” said Mr
Riyanto.
NTU also launched a double major programme in Economics and
Public Policy (ECPP) in 2016 to
meet the increasing demand for
PPGA modules.
The ECPP programme complements the PPGA curriculum by introducing the economic rationales
behind policy decisions.
Said Mr Riyanto: ”In the current
globalised world, the skills offered
in the PPGA programme are highly
relevant in policy-making.”

Food for thought: Reducing food waste in NTU
National Geographic
Emerging Explorer Tristram
Stuart dishes out how to
make NTU a zero food
waste campus
Xu Qi Yang
FOR renowned food waste activist Tristram Stuart, eating leftover
food out of rubbish bins is part of
his everyday life.
A self-proclaimed freegan – a
person who routinely eats discarded food to reduce waste – he often
forages for food in rubbish bins to
protest against food waste.
Mr Stuart’s passion against food
waste started at age 15. He was
raising a few pigs to earn extra
pocket money.
While rummaging through rubbish bins for leftover food to feed
the pigs, he noticed that the bins
were filled with food still suitable
for human consumption.
“Everywhere I looked, we were

haemorrhaging food,” said Mr Stuart, who was speaking at NTU’s National Geographic Live! Talk at The
Hive last month.
“I began confronting businesses
about the waste and exposing it
to the public,” added the National
Geographic Emerging Explorer.
Mr Stuart shared his investigations into the food waste phenomenon in his book Waste: Uncovering
the Global Food Scandal.
He is the founder of Toast Ale,
a brewery that turns surplus bread
into beer.
Mr Stuart also established Feedback, an organisation that aims to
eliminate food waste globally.
The organisation’s campaigns
have included turning scraps into
food parties and encouraging the
use of leftover food to feed pigs.

Cut food waste on campus

At the National Geographic Live!
Talk, Mr Stuart also shared insights
on tackling food waste in NTU.
Food waste in NTU had increased
from 72 to 78 kilogram per person

from 2015 to 2016. This makes up
almost half of the total waste generated in school annually.
When asked how the university
can strive to be a zero food waste
campus, Mr Stuart said that school
pride and competitiveness with
other universities are potential motivating factors for students.
“Think about the culture in your
university and build your project around that culture; build on
things that already exist,” he said.
Mr Stuart also asked students to
rate the food in NTU.
In the roomful of around 40 students, a majority described the food
as “average”.
He then suggested that better
food can be offered so that students
would be more inclined to finish
their food, especially since Singapore is “one of the gastronomical
centres in the world”.
Buffets are also a major source of
food waste – caterers often provide
a surplus of food.
Said Mr Stuart: “There is no
mechanism in place to ensure that

WASTE NOT WANT NOT: Food waste activist Tristram Stuart (centre) gave students
advice on how to make NTU a zero food waste campus.
PHOTO: BELICIA TEO

all the food gets eaten,” .
Mr Stuart suggested that foodsharing applications could be created to notify students of excess
food on campus.
“Imagine if you had an app that
pings up and says that there’s a
hundred free meals in this area.
“Students can enjoy free food and

help reduce food waste.”
Mr Stuart urged students to participate in the global fight against
food waste.
“Mining that mountain of food
waste and turning it into really good food is something you
can shout about to the rest of the
world,” he said.

Internship experience opens the door to employment for NTU's Class of 2017, where two in three graduates secured jobs before graduation.

Two in three students
from NTU’s Class of 2017
found employment before
graduation, even as
unemployment rates rise
due to structural changes
in the economy
Adele Chiang
HAVING internship experience has
given graduating NTU students a
leg up in the job hunt.
More than half of the graduates
from the Class of 2017 secured jobs
before graduation despite rising
unemployment rates.
In January, The Straits Times reported that the overall unemployment rate in Singapore had continued its upward trend and had risen
to 2.1 per cent in 2016, its highest
level since 2010.
As of June, the annual average
overall unemployment rate stands
at 2.2 per cent.
Nevertheless, this statistic did not
faze NTU’s Class of 2017.
A preliminary survey done by
NTU, which involved more than
5,000 students, found that two in
three students secured a job before
graduation.
In NTU President Professor Bertil
Andersson’s address to the Class
of 2017, he said this statistic was
encouraging despite the “uncertain
economic conditions”.

“It shows the high standing of
NTU graduates with employers,”
he added.
One reason for this is that the
majority of NTU students have
something many employers value
— an internship experience.
Chief executive officer of maritime company Ascenz Solutions
Pte Ltd Chia Yoong Hui said he
prefers to hire a candidate who has
had experience in the field over
one with good results.
“Grades do not always translate
to real world abilities,” said the
49-year-old, who is also the cofounder and director of Ascenz.
“New hires with experience have
a gentler learning curve, can contribute more and be more productive in a shorter time,” he added.

"New hires with
experience have
a gentler learning
curve, can contribute
more and be more
productive in a
shorter time."
Mr Chia Yoong Hui, 49
CEO, Co-founder and Director
Ascenz Solutions Pte Ltd

85 per cent of NTU students undergo a credit-bearing internship

with external companies within
their four years of study.
One such example is NTU alumnus Debra Rajwani, 23, who secured a job at a public relations and
marketing agency a month before
graduating in July.
She completed her six-month
compulsory internship at an offshore and marine company in her
third year of school, which gave
her valuable practical experience.
"It taught me how to deliver client-ready work, and that boosts my
superiors' confidence in me," said
the graduate from the Wee Kim
Wee School of Communication and
Information.
Yet, the job search is not always
a breeze.
Despite having an internship under her belt, Ms Charmaine Chua,
a fresh graduate from the School
of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering struggled to find a job.
“I remember sending more than
30 applications a day during my
job hunt, but I only received two
replies,” said the 23-year-old. She
had started applying for jobs two
months before her graduation.
Ms Chua eventually found employment at a pharmaceutical firm
three weeks before graduating.
But not all fresh graduates are as
fortunate.
Ms Hema Lata, a graduate from
the School of Social Sciences, has
yet to receive a favourable job offer
since she began searching in May.
In the meantime, she has decided to
do internships and part time work
to gain more experience.

“Hopefully this will increase the
chances of me landing more interviews,” said the 24-year-old.

NTU’s Career and Attachment
Office (CAO) aims to continue engaging the other 33 per cent of
students who have yet to secure
employment.
“We push out jobs through email
notifications to these students on a
weekly basis for at least six months
after their graduation,” said Director of CAO Loh Pui Wah.
Despite the discouraging job
market statistics, Mr Loh remains
optimistic.
“Singapore is not in a full-on
economic recession. Its economy is
experiencing a structure shake-up,
leading to an increasing unemployment rate,” he said.
He added that since Singapore is
moving towards increasing productivity and automating more jobs,
students should be open to employment from these sunrise industries,
which tend to hire more employees.

Nevertheless, CAO still recognises the value of professional experience in boosting students’ employability, and is developing initiatives
to give students a greater competitive edge.
One such initiative, NTU PEAK,
will see 30 students solving realworld problems posed by external companies like Mediacorp and
Systems on Silicon Manufacturing
Company Pte Ltd in September.

"Singapore is not in
a full-on economic
recession. Its
economy is
experiencing a
structure shake-up."
Mr Loh Pui Wah
Director
NTU Career and Attachment Office

Students will then come up with
solutions and present them to the
leaders of each company.
Mr Loh said this will give students more valuable experience beyond the classroom.
He said: “I hope to see students
hone their leadership, critical
thinking and problem solving skills
— competencies that are highly
sought after by employers.”

04

NEWS

THE NANYANG

Rise in parking rates
draws mixed reactions
from students

As of 1 Jul, parking rates across campus carparks have increased, eliciting mixed reactions from students.

Some are upset, but
others say it means a
greater availability of
parking lots
Xu Qi Yang
Syed Muhammad Faris
HIKES in parking rates across campus carparks have drawn mixed
reactions from regular student
drivers. While some are unhappy
with the extra charge, others feel it
is affordable, and a few have even
welcomed it.
As of 1 Jul, parking rates in campus carparks have increased
between $0.30 to $1.02 per hour.
Motorists from Hall of Residences 10 to 14, graduate halls and faculty residential areas used to enjoy
free parking.
Now they are paying $1.02 per
hour, with a cap at $4.30, or $25 a
month for season parking.
Carparks in the North and South
Spine region — which constitute
Zone 1 — also saw a significant
increase. Season parking holders
have to pay $90 a month, $15 more
than before. Motorists going by the
per minute charge now need to pay
$2 per hour — $0.40 more than before — for a parking spot.

Some students the Nanyang
Chronicle spoke to were unhappy
with the increase.
Third-year School of Social Sciences student Jamie Lai said: “It
definitely isn’t friendly to the wallet, especially when you’re a student without a disposable income.”
The 21-year-old, who drives to
school thrice a week, was shocked
to discover that the cap price for
her usual parking spot at Nanyang
Lake had risen by $0.70.
Third-year School of Biological
Sciences student Sian Chan said the
increase would add to her monthly
expenditure.
“I have to clock in more hours at
my part-time job and go home later
to pay for this,” said the 23-yearold, who drives to school four times
a week.
But both Lai and Chan said they
will continue driving to school as
doing so affords them time and
convenience.
Said Lai: “I live in the east, so
coming to school by public transport means that I have to spend
two hours travelling each morning.
Driving requires only half the time,
which means I can sleep in more in
the mornings.”
In an email sent to season park
ing holders on 3 May, NTU’s Chief
Housing and Auxiliary Services

VOL.
NO.

24

CHRONICLE 01

PHOTO: YEO WEI LUN

(HAS) officer Jimmy Lee said the
rise in parking rates was due to an
increased demand for prime parking areas on campus.
“These (new) rates are based on
demand and supply, such that a
motorist pays more to park in a
prime area and less in non-prime
areas,” said Mr Lee. He added that
the last carpark revision was implemented in 2012.
Other students, however, approved of having parking charges
in carparks at their halls.
“Carparks that previously offered free parking were always full.
The higher prices discourage people from parking now, so it will be
easier to find a parking space,” said
second-year School of Computer
Science and Engineering student
Lim Hong Yee, 22, who usually
parks at Hall of Residence 14.
Nonetheless, some believe the revised rates remain affordable.
Third-year School of Mechanical
and Aerospace Engineering student
Sean Chong has been driving to
school daily for the past two years.
He now pays $40 per month for
season parking at Zone 2b, $5 more
than what he paid for previously.
Said the 23-year-old: “$40 is still
considered really cheap for season
parking compared to parking rates
outside NTU."

GRAPHIC: DIANE LIM AND REYNARD ADRIANTO

VOL.
NO.

24

NEWS

THE NANYANG

01 CHRONICLE

05

An orientation camp with a difference
Tamarind Hall’s pioneer
batch of students
overcame the odds to
spearhead the hall’s firstever freshmen orientation
camp
Elizabeth Lee
IT WAS a camp that was not supposed to take place.
Tamarind Hall, part of the Nanyang Crescent cluster of hall residences, was opened just this year
and a freshmen orientation camp
had not been planned as the Junior
Common Room Committee (JCRC)
was not yet formed.
But in just a month, a group of
almost 70 residents came together
and overcame the odds, executing a two-day orientation camp
for one of NTU’s newest halls for
undergraduates.
The planning of Tamarind’s
hall camp started with a Telegram
group chat, consisting of a handful
of new residents seeking to connect
with fellow hallmates.
Soon after the chat was created,
several freshmen within the group
began asking for an orientation
camp, prompting existing hall residents to orchestrate one.
One resident, Tay Zhi Qi, stepped
up to take on the role of chairperson for Tamarind Hall’s inaugural
orientation camp.
The second-year School of Biological Sciences (SBS) student said
he felt bad that the hall’s incoming
freshmen did not have an orientation camp to look forward to.
“If I could do something for
them, it wouldn’t hurt,” said the
22-year-old.
“Hall life will be more fun if
people know each other,” he added.
Let the camp begin
With the help of the hall’s senior
faculty-in-residence Associate Professor Jasmine Lam, Tay wrote a
proposal for the orientation, which
later secured funding from the Student Affairs Office.
Tay then began roping in residents by sending a sign-up link
in the Telegram chat group, which
had grown to include over 200
residents. He also asked for volunteers to be main committee members, programmers or orientation
group leaders.
One resident who offered his
help was first-year School of Materials Science and Engineering student Joseph Ong, who stepped up
to be an orientation group leader.
“I saw my NTU friends applying
for hall camp, and when I learnt
that there was no Tamarind hall
camp, I felt a strong sense (like I
was) missing out on something,”
said the 21-year-old.
Ong added: "I wanted to make
new friends and find a community,
and so, I took that initiative.”
Ong was one of almost 70 residents who rallied together to plan

New residents of Tamarind Hall managed to enjoy a hall camp experience after a group of over 70 residents banded together to plan and execute the hall's first-ever orientation camp.
PHOTOS: YEO WEI LUN

Second-year School of Biological Sciences student Tay Zhi Qi, 22, stepped up to take on the
role of chairperson for the camp.

and execute the camp, which ran
from 18 to 19 Aug.
Tamarind’s two-day orientation
camp saw over 200 campers painting Pokemon characters on flags to
represent their orientation groups’
identities, and exploring the hall in
search of cards, as part of an orientation game.
The objective was to provide
common ground for people to
know each other, said Tay.
Despite the short duration of
Tamarind’s camp, many residents
were grateful to have enjoyed a
hall camp experience.

pressed the desire to build a culture
of inclusivity.
First-year SBS student Leong
Utek, 22, said he hopes the hall
culture can be “laid-back" so that
shyer residents can feel comfortable enough to join hall activities.

"Hall life will be
more fun if people
know each other."
Tay Zhi Qi, 22
Second-year student
School of Biological Sciences

“Though the camp was not bigscale, at least we have something.”
First-year School of Humanities student Rosalind Ang, 23, said:
“The point of an orientation camp
is to make friends, and I think the
(Tamarind) FOC achieved that.” She
added that the camp helped her to
grow closer to her fellow residents,
whom she described as “friendly”.
Hall life after camp
Even though the camp has ended,
the many frienships forged remain
strong.
Second-year NBS student Christina Wong, who was an orientation group leader, said the camp
has helped residents become more
comfortable to talk to one another,
or ask for help.
The 20-year-old added: “A
freshie even offered to buy food
from the pasar malam he was at.”
Third-year School of Physical
and Mathematical Sciences student Daniel Neo, 23, said: “There
is no barrier between the seniors
and freshies. Everyone hangs out
together.”
When asked about their plans
for Tamarind Hall, residents ex-

"There is no
barrier between
the seniors and
freshies. Everyone
hangs out
together."
Daniel Neo, 23
Third-year student
School of Physical and Mathematical
Sciences

Others hope that there will be
more activities for residents to participate in.
Neo said having a range of activities like sports or recreational

games that residents can choose
from will allow them to enjoy “the
full hall experience”.
In her address to campers,
Assoc Prof Jasmine Lam said she
hopes to initiate and implement
programmes in line with NTU’s
Residential Education (RE) scheme,
which Tamarind Hall is a part of.
The RE scheme aims to enrich
students’ hall life by training them
in life skills beyond the academic
curriculum.
Faculty-in-residence Professor
Kristina Marie Tom said she was
interested in looking out for the
emotional well-being of students
by organising workshops on handling stress, peer helping and counselling skills.
“It’s about bringing our life and
career experiences and trying to
make that available as a resource to
students,” said Prof Tom, who also
expressed interest in making music
and the arts a focus.
“I hope you will participate actively in the activities,” said Prof
Lam in her address to campers during the orientation camp. “Hall life
is a very precious experience because it’s once in a lifetime.”

06 NEWS

THE NANYANG

VOL.
NO.

24

CHRONICLE 01

New initiatives at NTU Fest 2017
Students welcome new changes
at NTU’s biggest event of the year
held on campus for the first time

Wee Rae
NTU Fest made its comeback on 19 Aug after
a year-long hiatus, with a slew of new initiatives that saw more emphasis placed on celebrating the University’s achievements and
support for student groups.
Part of the annual Freshmen Welcome activities, NTU Fest is a full-day extravaganza
to mark the start of the new academic year.
This year’s affair comprised a carnival,
walkathon and concert — a central event to
bring the University's community together.
It was opened to all NTU students and
staff. Residents of Jurong and their families
and friends were also invited.
NTU Fest held its inaugural event in 2014.
It took a one-year hiatus in 2016 to review its
operations, following declining student participation from 2014 to 2015.

Back with new measures
Unlike past years, this year’s event was held
on campus at the Sports and Recreation Centre — the first of many changes.
Previously, the event was held at public
venues such as the Padang in 2014 and The
Promontory@Marina Bay in 2015.
Second-year student Fan Wenxuan, who
attended NTU Fest in 2015 and 2017, felt the
change in venue was a good decision.
“Holding it in school makes it more convenient for students who stay in halls to
come,” said Fan, a student at the School of
Chemical and Biological Engineering.
“We are also in an environment that we are
familiar with,” added the 19-year-old.
Chairperson of the NTU Fest 2017 committee Bryan Tan shares similar sentiments.
“By bringing the event back home, it relates back to the original objective of identity and appreciation for our school,” said the
25-year-old, who graduated from the School
of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
last month.

“By bringing the event back home, it
relates back to the original objective
of identity and appreciation for our
school."
Mr Bryan Tan, 25
Chairperson of NTU Fest 2017 committee

“If NTU Fest was held in the CBD (Central
Business District), it becomes a public event
rather than a school event,” he said.
Mr Tan added that this year’s event took
on a more student-centric approach.
This comes as the NTU Fest student committee had a greater influence over the planning of the event.
They also worked with other student clubs
such as the NTU Sports Club and Welfare
Services Club, who assisted with idea generation and the execution of the event.
This allowed the committee to gather more
feedback from students during the planning
process, added Mr Tan.
Other changes included the introduction
of a walkathon at the event, which covered
scenic routes along Nanyang Lake and the
Chinese Heritage Centre.

FUN UNDER THE SUN: Performances by student groups, exhibition booths and a walkathon are some new initiatives at this year's NTU Fest.

Performances by Jam Bands from the various Halls of Residences, dance groups and
the university’s acapella group, Harmonix,
were also among the line-up.
In a bid to support local talent, there were
also special guest performances by artistes
Hayley and Jayley Woo.
At previous editions of NTU Fest, the focus
had been on K-pop stars like Kang Gary and
Dal Sherbet.
Exhibition booths were also set up at The
Wave, NTU’s newly opened sports hall.
The booths showcased notable student projects such as the EDGAR-2 robot engineered
by students from the School of Mechanical
and Aerospace Engineering.
The Nanyang Venture 8 — a four-wheel
urban concept electric micro-car by students
from the College of Engineering — was also
another highlight at the booths.
Vy Tran, 22, an exchange student from Vietnam, said that the event was a good platform for exchange students to learn more
about NTU.
“As exchange students, we do not know
much about NTU. Through this event, we can
make more friends and learn more about the
NTU spirit which is really nice,” said Tran.

is so inaccessible."
She added that the event could have been
better promoted to generate more interest
among students.

“When you celebrate NTU, I think it's
good to showcase it to the rest of
Singapore as well."
Jeryl Chen, 22
Vocalist of Jam Band One Knight Stand
Hall of Residence 16

“I felt that there wasn’t really much hype
about it,” said Lim.
Jeryl Chen, vocalist of Hall of Residence
16 Jam Band One Knight Stand, 22, preferred
the event to be held off campus.
“When you celebrate NTU, I think it's good
to showcase it to the rest of Singapore as
well," said the second-year student from the
Asian School of the Environment.

He added: "Performing to a larger audience
public will allow students to gain exposure
and step out of their comfort zones.
Despite the lower-than-expected attendance, this year’s crowd size is still an improvement from the turnout at NTU Fest in
previous years.
President of the Students’ Union Gan Rui
Yun said the event turnout was estimated at
5,000 based on ticket sales — a 45 per cent
increase from 3,441 back in 2015.
Professor Kwok Kian-Woon, Associate
Provost of Student Life, believes the main
problem for the low turnout lies with the students’ mindsets.
“Sometimes we can’t always use the same
old argument of the campus being too far.
We all have to chip in a little for a special
day,” he said.
Added Prof Kwok: “Building strong university traditions is always challenging, but
we have to start somewhere.”

Small crowd despite changes
Despite the new initiatives in place, many
students felt that the event turnout was underwhelming.
Aakash Kumar, 22, a member of NTU
Breakers who performed at the event, said
students are less likely to attend school
events on a weekend.
“Most people aren’t in school on a weekend and those staying in halls would have
gone home,” said the third-year student from
the School of Biological Sciences.
Some attributed the small crowd to the
event’s inconvenient location.
Third-year School of Social Sciences student Gladys Lim, 21, said: “To be honest, I
expected it to be quite dead because nobody
would come at this time, and also since NTU

PHOTOS: HAZIM ZULFADHLI

This year's extravaganza was held on campus for the first time.

Lifestyle

LEFT: Cafe-hopping inspired Muhammad Ashiq to pursue work as a barista over three years ago. TOP: Since 2014, Amelia Yap has been training to be a barista at Strangers’ Reunion and Curious Palette.

PHOTOS: DAYNA YIN

Joining the express-o stream
NTU is home to a group of student baristas who are learning to craft the perfect cup.
Dayna Yin finds out how these student baristas succeed in balancing school and their interest for all things coffee.

KOPI o. Kopi gao. Kopi siew dai.
The coffee culture in Singapore
revolves around a curious blend of
Hokkien lingo that is often lost on
younger generations.
But this has not stopped secondyear Nanyang Business School student Loh Hiu Wai from pursuing
her passions.
Inspired by conversations with
canteen staff at her junior college,
the 21-year-old began visiting
more artisanal coffee establishments and started developing a
taste for different types of coffee.
Soon, her interest in coffee went
beyond the neighbourhood kopitiam as she set her sights on the
craft behind the perfect latte.
Today, she spends her off-campus days as a barista-in-training
at The Tiny Roaster, a small coffee
roasting establishment located at
Sunset Way.
“I was thinking, ‘If not now, then
when?’ [Coffee-making] is not a
slipshod kind of job because it will
really show in the coffee quality,”
said Loh.

“When you come to The Tiny
Roaster, you, as a barista, really
start to go in-depth about extraction and the different types
of beans that produce different
tastes,” she added.
Loh is part of a growing number
of NTU students who are dipping
their toes into third-wave coffee
culture — a movement to produce
high-quality coffee through improvements at all the stages of production.
For final-year School of Physical
and Mathematical Sciences student
Amelia Yap, her goals as a barista
have evolved over the last three
years during her stint at popular
cafe, Strangers’ Reunion, and its
sister outlet, Curious Palette.
Initially looking to kill time and
earn extra cash during the holidays, Yap found that working during the semester helped her cope
with stressful coursework.
“I really feel like working is a
form of de-stress, to get away from
studying,” said the 23-year-old,
who takes comfort in the little joys

of her routine to produce the perfect cup.
Other perks of the job include
meeting a diverse range of people
who share her love of coffee. From
knowledgeable mentors to coffee
enthusiasts, Yap makes it a point
to strike up conversations to share
and gain more knowledge about
her passion.
“I think meeting different people
in this industry has really enriched
me as a person. Good coffee is subjective and everybody has a different palate, but they’re all so willing
to share about their experiences,”
said Yap.
Like most labours of love, coffee
requires time and effort to perfect.
On top of understanding how coffee is prepared, baristas need to
possess strong knowledge on bean
origins, steaming milk, and methods of coffee extraction.
For would-be student baristas,
Yap stresses the importance of
good mentorship.
At Strangers’ Reunion, Yap
trained under Singapore National

Barista & Latte Art Champion Zenn
Soon for several months, before being assigned to handle barista service on her own at Curious Palette.
“Working here [at Curious Palette], there’s this sense of achievement to proceed after you master
something,” said Yap.
“So when they knew that I was
keen, they put me on barista training.”
Now entering her second year
at NTU, Loh shares similar sentiments on having proper training.
She finds that her customers are
mostly coffee enthusiasts and connoisseurs, so sometimes it can be
intimidating to meet their expectations as a novice.
“You’re serving someone who
probably has a lot more experience
than you,” said Loh. “But they trust
us to do it and I feel like you also
need to trust yourself to make a
good cup of coffee.”
So, what exactly does the future
hold for NTU student baristas after
they graduate?
School of Mechanical and Aero-

space Engineering alumnus Muhammad Ashiq, 26, is concerned
that prospects in the industry might
not be promising.
He has worked as a barista in
establishments such as Maison Ikkoku, Dapper Coffee and Coast &
Company for the last three years.
“The only thing that is stopping me is that this cafe movement
might just be a fad, from the number of shops that have closed in the
last few years,” said Ashiq.
According to a 2015 study by
Spring Singapore, small businesses
like cafes tend to struggle in the
food and beverage industry. Statistics from the study show that four
out of 10 such establishments close
down in less than five years.
Despite the odds, Ashiq hopes
his passion for the craft will lead
him to pursue coffee as a livelihood
some day.
“Combining work and passion is
rare these days,” he said.
“I really want to get into the coffee business and learn everything
about coffee, from bean to cup.”

08-09 LIFESTYLE

Pageant fever
Pageants are more than just glitz
and glamour. Clara Lee gets a
behind-the-scenes peek into the
lives of NTU’s fresh-faced pageant
nominees before the big day
FLASHING cameras. Flawless makeup. Strict
diets. These are some things that come to
mind at the mention of beauty pageants.
But pageants in NTU are more than meets
the eye. Usually held after orientation, these
competitions are a cornerstone of freshmen
welcome activities across student faculties
and residential halls.
On the outset, they may seem to unfold in
typical fashion: beginning with a banquet in
a fancy ballroom, boisterous talent segments
mid-way, and culminating in a heady night
at Zouk.
But beyond the glitz and glamour, what
actually happens before the big day?
With the new pageant season just commencing, the North Spine has become one of
the most popular spots for training sessions.
It is where this year’s fresh batch of Sports
Camp pageant nominees have set up camp,
training tirelessly along the empty walkways
long after the last lecture has ended.
They spend their after-class time perfecting their strut and conditioning to peak physique, all in preparation for their big day —
Sports Ball 2017.
Second-year School of Social Sciences student Regina Tay, who was awarded the title
of Sports Queen 2016, is one of the main
pageant coordinators this year. She works
with the different pairings on their catwalk routines, demonstrating poses without

1

breaking a sweat.
“For Sports Pageant, it’s all about looking
healthy and having a good physique. So we
focus a lot on physical training,” said Tay,
20. During these sessions, she makes sure to
dedicate a good hour for a mass workout that
leaves the pageant nominees panting.
Training sessions are intense, she added.
Their rigorous regime is repeated almost every day, with most sessions only ending after
midnight.
Their end goal, of course, is the Sports
Ball’s iconic beach wear segment, where the
pageant nominees finally “get to show how
hard they’ve worked.” However, Tay stressed
that the Sports Ball goes beyond being just
about physique.
“Each orientation group (OG) will come
dressed in clothing that they’ve designed or
made by themselves as an OG,” she said.
These costumes are related to the freshmen’s respective OG themes, and it is hoped
that the bonds they create over costumemaking keep them tight-knit long after camp
has ended.
Like scenes from a movie
The pageant nominees from Hall of Residence 7 have been kept busy as well.
As first-year Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information student Eunice
Chua exchanges ideas for the solo catwalk
routines with her fellow hallmates, she continues to joke lightheartedly with them.
It was this year’s movie blockbusters theme
that swayed the 19-year-old into joining Hall
7’s pageant. In line with the theme of movie
blockbusters, she dons a black widow costume complete with gun holsters and red

2

THE NANYANG

VOL.
NO.

24

CHRONICLE 01

3

4
hairspray.
While she initially had the impression that
pageant nominees had to meet certain physical requirements, she was surprised to find
that Hall 7’s pageant did not have any intense dieting or exercise regimes.
The frequent training sessions have kept
her schedules packed, but she is more than
happy to give her all during practice.
“The fact that I have nine other amazing
friends doing this with me as well as all the
seniors’ support, makes the time spent worthwhile,” she said.
The entire experience has been a huge step
outside her comfort zone, especially when it
comes to the mass dance segment involving
all the pageant nominees on stage.
But seeing how effortlessly Eunice performs the choreography, it is difficult to
imagine that she finds herself “terrible at it.”
Morning runs, which the pageant nomi-

nees have initiated on their own, fills her
with a sense of camaraderie. They gather at
7am to complete their route around the campus, cheering each other on as they go.
“I know this is something I will look back
on and smile about after I graduate, when I
reminisce about university.”
Life’s a stage
Over at the School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering (EEE), pageant nominees
have also been putting in their paces.
Fog machines, smokey make-up and flowing fabrics take center stage, as the EEE Ball
2017 aims to create an otherworldly experience with their theme of mystery and mystique.
In preparation for the official photoshoot,
Yong Chun Yee, 22, had his hair and makeup professionally done for the first time.
But it isn’t all fun and games. Yong discov-

5
ers that working to embody the theme comes
with its challenges.
“It isn’t easy for both contestants and organisers, because a lot of work and effort
is needed from everyone to make the event
successful.”
Despite the extra workload, he takes pride
in being a part of this event and bringing its
theme to life.
As the big day draws near, the nerves of
contestants will eventually kick in, as speculations among their peers become rife: Who
will win the title of Hall Queen? Who will
walk away with Mr Popularity?
But for these pageant nominees, it is ultimately the journey, not the destination, that
truly matters.
At the end of the day, every pageant carries the same goal — to provide a platform for
students to gain a boost of confidence and
strut their stuff.

Working up a
sweat in school
Save the heavy lifting for the gym. Tiong Linshan suggests
ways to make use of alternative workout spots on campus.
YOU don’t have to be a gym rat to
get fit.
Having a large campus presents
endless opportunities for students
to creatively make use of school
facilities for an endorphin rush.
For those in Hall of Residence
3, the sight of first-year student
Kelvin Yau from Nanyang Business
School completing his Tabata
workouts along the corridor has
become the norm.
A time-saving Tabata workout
can be as short as four minutes,
and has been gaining traction
among students on a time crunch.
The 21-year-old Yau was drawn
to Tabata as it maximises the use of
both his time and effort.
Each set starts with 20 seconds
of high intensity interval training
(HIIT) exercise, followed by 10
seconds of rest. He repeats this
circuit eight times.
He would begin his workout
with upper body exercises, such
as push-ups, followed by flutter

kicks and abdomen twists for core
strengthening, before finishing off
with squats and lunges.
This arrangement saves him
travelling time, especially when he
is not able to make it to the gym.
Yau said: “Tabata is a great
alternative to get my heart
pumping hard. It becomes my wet
weather plan when it starts to pour
and I can’t head out for my run or
to the gym.”
Other students find time for
exercising on campus by making
use of longer breaks in between
their classes.
As third-year School of Social
Sciences student Toh Han Jing does
not stay on campus, she exercises
during her long breaks in school to
make good use of her time.
When possible, the 21-year-old
dancer takes dance electives so that
she can make use of the studio to
exercise before class.
“I make sure I go to class one
hour earlier when the studio is

AN UPHILL TASK: Students can make use of different parts of the campus, such as staircases, to train when the gyms are crowded.

CYCLING TO BE FIT: First-year student Bryan Wu cycles around NTU to get his exercise fix.

completely empty, and I have the
entire space to myself to do yoga
or dance,” Toh said.
Toh also seeks out “small little
spots” around school where she
can dance.
On some days, she can be found
dancing on the first level of the
School of Biological Sciences
(SBS), where a large glass panel
acts as a mirror for her to correct
her form.
This makeshift studio at SBS is
popular among dancers when they
lack access to proper dance studios
on campus.
For Bryan Wu, 21, getting some
exercise is an added perk of cycling
to class.
The first-year student from
the Wee Kim Wee School of
Communication and Information
cycles around school on a singlespeed bike.
This mode of transport gives his
legs a vigorous workout, especially
when he cycles up the small hills
around school.
Wu said: “Going uphill is no
fun for anyone, but at the same
time that’s what I enjoy — putting
myself through the paces of it and
just feeling my legs burn.”
Cycling around school also
gets him acquainted with his new
environment.
“It’s such a big campus, and I
feel like most people have left at
least half of it unexplored, and this
is a good way of getting to know
the campus a bit better.”
Other students exercise at
alternative areas in school as they
feel it is more accessible than going
to a gym.
Rugby player Aqilah Adriana,
21, enjoys doing her HIIT workouts
near the field at the Sports and
Recreation Centre on days she does
not have training.
The second-year School of
Humanities student supplements
these workouts with runs around
the campus.

PHOTOS: TIONG LINSHAN

EXERCISING WITH TIME CONTRAINTS: A Tabata workout is perfect for students with limited
free time.

This is a way for her to avoid the
crowded school gyms, especially
during peak hours.
Doing the same is third-year
School of Social Sciences student
Linnet Xue, 21, who breaks out her
yoga mat to do core exercises in
her room instead.
Her workouts consist of oneminute sets of leg raises, planks
and crunches.
“Sometimes, you want some
privacy when you do bodyweight
exercises,” said Xue.
“I feel less self-conscious and
can focus better on what I’m doing,

especially when I want to try new
workout moves.”
Besides core exercises, Xue also
clocks miles on the running path
that winds through campus. She
finds this a therapeutic way to
recharge during the school week.
She added: “The campus is
actually a really nice place to run,
especially during the night and in
the early mornings.”
With the different ways students
utilise the campus space to cater
to their respective fitness regimes,
there is no excuse not to get your
sweat on.

VOL.
NO.

24

THE NANYANG

01 CHRONICLE

LIFESTYLE 11

GRAPHIC: DIANE LIM, AMY ONG AND REYNARD ADRIANTO

12-13 SPOTLIGHT
1.

Part-time
student,
full-time
entrepreneur
Owner of a social enterprise, an author and also a firstyear student. Sazzad Hossain shares his journey teaching
migrant workers with photo editor Christy Yip

IT IS only his first year at university, but 23-year-old Sazzad Hossain
is already a chief executive officer
(CEO).
Four years ago, he set out on
a mission unthinkable to most
19-year-olds: teaching English
to migrant workers. Today, the
School of Electrical and Electronic
Engineering student — a Bangladeshi immigrant himself — is the
founder of Social Development Initiative (SDI) Academy.
When asked what inspired him to
start a social enterprise at such a
young age, he said: “We shouldn’t
just wait for opportunities. There’s
no such thing as a perfect time.”
He started with three eager students, a park bench and a primary
school English textbook. Today,
SDI boasts a structured curriculum
with six learning centres, a dedicated team of eight teachers and
more than 5,000 students who have
completed the course.
SDI has also evolved beyond migrant workers and formed refugee
outreach teams in Bangladesh, Malaysia and Germany.
With the success and reach of
SDI, some may wonder why Sazzad is still in school. The freshman
– who is also taking a minor in

business – believes that he still has
much to learn, and that university
is a gateway to meeting like-minded people who want to do meaningful things together.
Sazzad’s initiative made its first
breakthrough when he met his
partners at a Model United Nations
conference held at NTU in 2014. In
the same year, they began to participate in competitions such as NTU’s
Ideasinc. His team won $10,000 in
cash for The Most Socially Responsible Start-up, kick-starting a revenue stream for the enterprise.

“We shouldn’t just
wait for opportunities.
There’s no such thing
as a perfect time. ”
Sazzad Hossain, 23
First-year
School of Electronic and
Electrical Engineering
One word of advice Sazzad has
for budding social entrepreneurs:
“Just having the good intention
alone is not enough.”
They must also consider how the
cause can generate the greatest impact in the most innovative way,
added Sazzad.

2.

THE NANYANG

VOL.
NO.

24

CHRONICLE 01
3.

5.

4.

1. First-year student Sazzad Hossain giving a preview lesson for students new to SDI
Academy
2. First-time volunteer Joshua Tan (right) helps facilitate a group activity where participants share stories in English when prompted a phrase. The second-year Lee Kong
Chian School of Medicine student said that SDI is “a very empowering form of community service” and “brings lifelong benefit to the foreign workers”.
3. Mr Israfil, 30, is one of SDI Academy’s dormitory ambassadors. Apart from
basic English courses, SDI has also rolled out a mentorship programme to hone the
students’ leadership skills. He has grown confident speaking English and is proud to
promote SDI as a learning opportunity for his peers he said.
4. From left to right: Milon Md Rashid, Hossain Md Alamgir, Israfil, Noor Uz Zaman.
These dorm ambassadors volunteer at SDI’s outreach programmes and assist in
organising events to bring the local Bangladeshi community together.
5. The students broke into teams and were challenged to build the tallest structure
using straws and paper clips – all while conversing only in English.

SDI is currently looking out for volunteers to help with their media and
publicity team. Interested applicants can visit: www.sdi-academy.org

Opinion
EDITORIAL

MAKING ORIENTATION A NORM,
NOT AN EXCEPTION

OVER a year ago, the University
decided to make its freshmen
orientation programme more inclusive, by allowing all incoming undergraduates to participate
and removing registration fees.
In the past, orientation camps
here had a cap on the number of
students who could sign up, with
participation usually granted on
a first-come, first-served basis.
The University decided to make
these changes before the start of
the last academic year, after past
surveys revealed that less than
half of its cohort of 6,000 new
students attended orientation activities annually.
New rules emphasising inclusivity were also introduced, such
as having only all-English cheers
so students of minority races
would not be marginalised.
While most freshmen welcomed the changes, several seniors were worried about the
logistics and costs associated
with managing a larger and more
diverse group of participants, as
well as the difficulties they might
face in creating adequate bonding exercises for them.
In addition, some customary
orientation games, only suitable
to be played in smaller groups,
have been a mainstay across
faculties and halls for years. But
they may be scrapped in favour
of more homogeneous activities

to accommodate a bigger crowd.
While these concerns are not
unfounded, there is a need for
student leaders to be more receptive towards tailoring their
activities to serve the greater
good, even if it means altering
their long-running traditions and
working within a tighter budget.
Recently, a group of 70 Tamarind Hall residents banded together to execute an inaugural
two-day orientation camp for incoming hallmates.
While their camp may have
paled in comparison to the grandiosity of established camps by
older residential halls, it was
still a commendable effort that
achieved its ultimate goal: providing a stepping stone for new
residents to form friendships.
A little goes a long way, and it
is heartening to see these pioneer
residential batches overcome the
odds to construct a new community from scratch.
New cultures and traditions can
always be built, but orientation
only happens once. As the transition to university life can be
overwhelming, orientation activities are crucial in helping freshmen adjust to an unfamiliar environment and generating a sense
of connection to the campus.
It would be a pity for anyone
to miss out, or feel remotely excluded from this rite of passage.

THE NANYANG

CHRONICLE
CHIEF EDITOR
Dewey Sim

OPINION EDITOR
Chloe Then

MANAGING EDITOR

SPORTS EDITOR

SUB-EDITORS

ONLINE EDITOR

Paige Lim

Adora Tan
Ignatius Koh

NEWS EDITORS
Gracia Lee
Natalie Choy

Candy Choo

PHOTO EDITOR
Christy Yip

Yeo Kai Wen

PRODUCTION SUPPORT
Joe Tok
Kenny Wong

FACULTY ADVISORS
Wu Shangyuan
Zakaria Zainal

GRAPHIC EDITOR

LIFESTYLE EDITORS
Alicia Teng
Jovi Ho

Khairul Anwar

LAYOUT SUPERVISOR

Reynard Adrianto

BUSINESS MANAGERS
Vanessa Tan
Vinice Yeo

A students’ newspaper published by the
Wee Kim Wee School of Communication
and Information (WKWSCI)
Nanyang Technological University
31 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637718
Tel: 6790 6446

Unsigned editorials represent
the majority view of the editorial
board of The Chronicle and do not
necessarily reflect the policies or
views of Nanyang Technological
University, its employees, the
students or the Council of the
University.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

Signed opinion columns, letters
and editorial cartoons represent
the opinion of the writer or artist
and are not necessarily those of
The Chronicle.

Life in plastic? Not so fantastic
Linshan Tiong
MUCH has been done in the last
five years to bring Singapore to the
forefront of environmental sustainability in Asia, be it through developing green shopping malls and
housing projects, or introducing
an islandwide bike sharing scheme.
We’ve been ramping up efforts —
that much can be said.
It is probably old news by now
that the current leader of the free
world, President Donald Trump,
believes otherwise.
But climate change is happening, and it is becoming increasingly evident, as world temperatures
peak.
Not only was 2016 the hottest
year ever recorded, it was also the
third year in a row to claim that
title — a worrying trend that shows
no sign of abating.

Singapore takes a stand

We can see that Singapore, too, is
aware of the growing need to rethink our energy consumption.
Even corporate buildings are included in the nation’s green efforts
— Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese
architect Toyo Ito designed the
environment-friendly CapitaGreen
office building situated in the heart
of our Central Business District.
Many of us have probably also
heard of the government’s latest
efforts to make Singapore a Smart
Nation. As a country, we are always
hungry for more — making things
more sustainable, more advanced,
more convenient.
In the 2016 findings released
by the Environmental Performance
Index (EPI), Singapore was ranked
14th in terms of meeting EPI’s dual
objectives of environmental health

and ecosystem vitality.
In that same study, we also came
in fifth under climate and energy;
EPI measured every nation’s progress in climate and energy by its
reduction in carbon emissions.
Yet, even with the slew of initiatives being pushed out by the
government to promote Singapore
as a model for green urban design,
we still fall short on environmental
responsibility in our daily lives.
While local initiatives have
sought to encourage environmental responsibility among Singaporeans — like supermarket rebates for
shoppers with their own grocery
bags — we need to take a more aggressive stance.

Learning from others

We should look to our environmentally-conscious European counterparts, such as Germany.
Even though Singapore outranks Germany on EPI’s global
overall ranking list, environmental
responsibility is a huge part of their
citizens’ lives — more so than ours.
Singaporean supermarkets could
take a leaf out of Germany’s book
by charging shoppers for plastic
carrier bags.
Here, shop owners are extremely
liberal with doling out plastic bags
for groceries — something I have
had to accustom myself to again,
after five months of bringing reusable totes everywhere on my exchange programme in Stuttgart last
semester.
What I also admired about the
Germans’ enthusiasm towards recycling was the Pfandsystem they
had in place.
Directly translated, Pfandsystem
means “deposit system”. Shoppers
pay a deposit on drink bottles when

they buy drinks in recyclable glass
or plastic bottles.
On their next trip to the supermarket, they can drop the empty
bottles inside a machine to get a
return of their deposit.
They can use these returns,
which come in receipt form, as a
partial payment for their groceries.
The refunded deposits range
from eight to 25 cents, depending
on the type of bottle (multi-use or
single-use) and its capacity.
Besides employing a more punitive approach to encourage ecofriendliness, Singapore could consider such rewards for citizens who
are environmentally friendly.
In Germany, my flatmates and I
would hoard every recyclable bottle we could get our hands on so
that we could return them at our
neighbourhood Kaufland and get
refunds in exchange for them.
It was a sight to behold, as
families would often return an entire trolley of beer crates and beer
bottles at the same time.
There are also other ways we
can move towards being greener.
For a start, hawkers should encourage patrons to bring their own
containers if they want to order
food to go, instead of dishing out
disposable containers.
Maybe being friendly to our environment is not in our zeitgeist,
but we can always try.
So the next time before we book
an Uber ride because of a promotion, maybe we should think twice
about its environmental impact.
It is time to break out that oBike
app — we sure could use the exercise, and Mother Earth could do
with lesser carbon emissions.

VOL.
NO.

24

OPINION 15

THE NANYANG

01 CHRONICLE

Let's not expect our MRT to be the Shinkansen
Ginnette Ng
AS WE make our long daily commutes back to Pulau NTU, students
might find themselves with an
extra task these days — factoring
potential transport delays in their
journey to the West.
If good fortune is not on your
side, a one-way trip to school via
public transportation could be as
long as a Marvel movie.
It is no wonder many of us lament about the Singapore Mass
Rapid Transit (SMRT) Corporation
just as much as we do about the
heat and humidity nowadays.
We have all seen the harsh comments on Facebook directed at
SMRT or our Transport Minister
Khaw Boon Wan.
After all, the infamous SMRT
Feedback parody account on Facebook came to fame amid the first
train disruption in 2011, and still
takes jabs at SMRT when a new incident occurs.
The public has not forgotten
that investigations revealed SMRT’s maintenance lapses in its operations two years ago.
Even so, no amount of internet
memes will transform the 30-yearold tracks into the Shinkansen. We
will simply have to grin and bear it.
SMRT has said most of its recent
delays have been from testing out
new software and signaling sys-

tems in the older North South Line
(NSL) and East West Line (EWL).
These upgrades are necessary to
support the increasing number of
commuters who depend on the
MRT every day.
Daily ridership is now at a record high of 3.1 million since operations began in 1987, according
to the Land Transport Authority.
In fact, train delays are not uncommon in cities around the world.
In London, the Underground
stations may be closed for several
months at a time due to extensive
renovations.

York City’s famous City Subway
network has also scheduled maintenance works that close several
stations every week.
In 2019, the L line will see a
15-month shutdown that will inconvenience a quarter of a million
commuters for necessary servicing
and upgrades.
Much like Singapore, replacement bus services are used during
those extended periods. Commuters
complain about the inconvenience,
though they often have no choice
but to make do.
While these solutions have

whenever tourists praised our
world-class transportation. Now we
are just annoyed and disappointed,
as I am, together with the primary
school students who did not make
it to their oral examinations two
weeks ago.
For now, it seems we will have
to make do with these temporary
MRT delays.
Unless Magneto is with us, we
can only learn to adapt and move
on to Plan B or C.
That could mean relying more
on bus routes or train replacement
buses, or giving in to Uber’s unrelenting advertising for a more comfortable ride to your destination.
In an ideal world, I would not
have to pay $30 for a ride to school
to avoid missing my finals, but I
GRAPHIC: AMY ONG will not hold it against Singapore
for not being a utopia.
The trains may be slower, but a
worked in these cities, our public
transportation network is not ex- good distraction like Netflix or Viu
tensive enough to do the same at will make time pass a little faster.
And for those of us who are
the moment.
We only have our train and bus devoted to our studies, there is no
networks to rely on despite the fact shame in catching up on lecture
that public transportation ridership readings while on the go.
Until the new system stabilises
has been increasing for 12 consecin the coming months, we will have
utive years.
The narrative we have all grown to take SMRT’s word for it – that
up with about Singapore being our trains will eventually be as efficlean and efficient and moving cient as we once remembered them
from the Third World to the First to be.
Meanwhile, we can only hope
World has raised our expectations
that the light at the end of the tunof this city-state.
We used to swell with pride nel will come soon.

Is becoming a Smart Nation a smart move?
Jasmine Hoe
BEING a modern cosmopolitan
city, Singapore is a model for other
countries in South East Asia. Thriving on constant improvement and
innovation, it is no wonder that we
are trying to push our technological boundaries as part of a nationwide move toward a “smart city."
Following in our nation’s footsteps, NTU has been making a conscious effort to progress forward
technologically in recent years.
As an NTU student, I feel proud
that my school is pioneering new
initiatives that can help Singapore
to advance as a nation.
Last year, we made headlines
when the University piloted a project introducing driverless buses on
campus grounds.
The first of its kind in Singapore,
NTU collaborated with the Land
Transport Authority to incorporate the Global Positioning System
(GPS) and Intelligent Cameras into
campus buses to capture surrounding information for the bus navigation system.
While these new technological
ventures can help to raise NTU’s

GRAPHIC: AMY ONG

reputation as a research university,
what does it actually mean for the
average student like you and me?
As NTU students, we are privileged enough to be in a school that
places emphasis on being technologically forward-looking.
Recently, the University partnered with Telepod, a Singapore
based company that produces
scooters, to set up a scooter sharing
system on campus.

Students only need to download
the mobile application to ride these
scooters.
This is perfect for students who
are seeking travel alternatives besides riding the bus, and is just one
example of how NTU is introducing new schemes to help improve a
student’s experience.
Nonetheless, there are also instances when we face difficulties
using technology in NTU. There

may be times when we encounter
problems logging into our student
accounts on NTULearn.
We may also be greeted with an
unresponsive screen on occasion,
when we log into the Students
Automated Registration System
(STARS) to bid for our modules.
Even though it is heartening to
see that the University is embracing technology, it can be a highly
stressful affair when our entire

schedule for the semester lies in the
hands of an unpredictable machine.
It is during such situations that
I realise technology has the capacity to be more of a burden than a
convenience.
Besides Singapore’s intention
to move towards a Smart Nation,
the issue of cyber-security has also
been raised by Prime Minister Lee
Hsien Loong during his National
Day Rally Speech.
This is even more pertinent
in light of the malware attack on
NTU’s information technology (IT)
systems in April this year.
Even though no information
was lost, the fact that hackers were
able to gain unauthorised access to
personal information of both students and staff shows that our IT
systems need to be better equipped
to deal with such attacks.
The University needs to ensure
that they continually update their
systems to keep it cyber-secure.
These situations serve to remind us
of how murky the waters can be.
To benefit from being a Smart
Nation, we must first be smart
about the challenges that lie ahead,
and take precautions whenever we
can.

16 OPINION

THE NANYANG

Adele Chiang
DESPITE having tried many different versions of wanton mee, I still
return to this one store that I have
been patronising since I was a cherubic kindergartener. The springy
egg noodles coated with homemade
chilli, paired with caramelised char
siew served with a slight char, gives
me comfort.
As I alternate between shovelling spoonfuls of noodles into my
mouth and savouring the full-bodied soup with a hearty portion of
dumplings, I am reminded of my
childhood, of how much I thoroughly enjoyed this local delicacy
every day after school.
Yet, it is no surprise that one day,
I will not get to enjoy my favourite
bowl of wanton mee when the elderly grandma, who owns the store,
retires. After all, she has been cooking for her loyal customers for over
50 years.
So, no more wanton mee?
Thankfully, this might not be the
case. In recent years, younger Singaporeans have been stepping up
to the plate and starting up their
own hawker stalls.
An example of a young hawker
is Ms Lois Er, the owner of Wonderfull Nasi Lemak, a stall at Old Airport Road. After graduating with an
accounting degree from Nanyang

Business School in 2014, Ms Er decided to set up a hawker stall at the
age of 26. Doing so, she thought,
could help combine her love for
food with her skills in business and
accounting.
Her younger sister Ms Eunice
Er, 23, joined her after graduating
from National University of Singapore this year.
Nonetheless, having long working hours and taking home a
smaller paycheck compared to their
counterparts have proven to be a
challenge for young hawkers like
Ms Er and her sister. Coupled with
insufficient manpower and high
rental costs, many of them find it
difficult to sustain their business in
the long run.
Despite that, young hawkers are
going the extra mile to ensure the
highest quality of their food. Mr
Lionel Hor, owner of Mr Kneady
at The Bedok Marketplace, makes
everything from scratch — from the
sourdough base of his pizzas to the
tomato sauce.
In spite of that, as the young
hawkers operate at traditionally affordable hawker centres, the public
still expects them to keep prices
low. There have definitely been attempts to support the interests of
these young hawkers so far. One
such initiative is a $10,000 grant
to 25 individuals awarded by Asia
Pacific Breweries Singapore, as
part of the inaugural Tiger Street
Food Support Fund to support our
unique hawker trade in Singapore.
Even with corporate initiatives
being implemented, we have to be
receptive by patronising these stalls
as well. Instead of merely frequenting famous stalls operated by elde-

rly hawkers, it is vital that we are
open-minded to the more interesting food options prepared by
young hawkers as well.
Young hawkers, unlike their older counterparts who tend to serve
up more traditional dishes, are often food innovators as well, bringing fusion dishes to the table that
combine both Asian and Western
styles of cooking.
These fusion dishes are personal
favourites of mine, especially because the mastery of the cook's
ingredients shines through in his
unique creations.
Some examples include Plum &
Rice’s umeboshi porridge, A Noodle
Story’s Singapore-style ramen, or
even Hambaobao’s ayam buah keluak burger.
Have you ever had a milo dinosaur croissant for tea?
You can now try it at newlyopened Keong Saik Bakery. The
two young owners of the bakery
pair traditional Singaporean flavours like lup cheong with European-style bread like sourdough or
dark rye.
When it comes to hawkers, we
tend to adopt the “older is better”
mindset. But perhaps, in the long
run, it might be necessary for us to
make a more pronounced effort to
support these young hawkers.
“If Singaporeans wish to be able
to enjoy the hawker heritage for
years to come, it’s time to appreciate both young and old hawkers
alike,” Ms Er added.
Whether it is through patronising their stores or simply leaving a
review on Instagram, a little effort
will go a long way for these young,
passionate hawkers.

GRAPHIC: AMY ONG

24

CHRONICLE 01

Show some support
for young hawkers
With an ageing hawker
scene, young hawkers
represent our future
and they need more
recognition to keep going

A SNAP of your morning run. An
Instagram story of your lunch date.
A Facebook post of your late night
outing.
Rings a bell, doesn’t it?
From a young age, we’ve been
told to not disclose too much personal information online. But now,
sharing our private lives on social
media is becoming a ritual for most
of us.
Just how did openly sharing our
private lives become a social norm?
A safe haven for many, social
media is where many of us seek to
express ourselves freely.
Even as we rely more on social
media to connect, it doesn’t mean
that we are turning away from
meaningful face-to-face interactions. After all, we are innately
social creatures. Sharing our daily
lives in an intimate manner on social media is merely our new way of
communicating with one another.
I am aware, though, that I should
limit the amount of private information I publicise online. Still, I
find myself being carried away on
social media, where I may unwittingly reveal more private information than I intend to.
As a user of Snapchat, I was
drawn to using its location-specific
filters, especially when I am in a
new location. It then dawned on
me that even though the filters did
make my snaps more aesthetically
pleasing, my personal safety was
also at risk. Snapchat is publicly
accessible, which meant that anyone could track down my location.
Before the advent of social media, people sent text messages as a
convenient alternative to face-toface communication. They offered
the luxury of asynchronous communication, where people could
craft messages at their own pace.

But text messaging did not allow
me to instantly and widely broadcast my thoughts or experiences.
Whereas with social media today, I
can do a live broadcast or post, and
receive immediate reactions from
my friends.
Sharing my private life with
more people, and receiving positive
feedback, has granted me a feelgood factor that text messaging
had failed to provide.
Nonetheless, we still need to be
wary about how much information
we share online.
While our social media posts may
seem transient – a Facebook post
can be deleted immediately, while
Instagram stories disappear in 24
hours – the (sometimes careless)
thoughts that we share in the public
sphere may come back to haunt us
when we least expect it.
Just this June, Harvard rescinded
at least 10 acceptance offers as the
students posted racially and sexually offensive remarks on a closed
Facebook group Harvard memes for
horny bourgeois teens. Even though
the post was shared within a small
circle of about 100 users, the posts
did not stay private for long.
That said, as long as we exercise
caution when we interact on social
media, it can definitely be a useful
tool for communication.
Social media offers an immediately accessible pool of information, making it easier to stay connected, even with the most distant
friends. Seeing how my mother was
able to reconnect with her classmates from 25 years ago – simply
because they had indicated their
secondary school on their Facebook
profile, reassured me that it will not
be hard to keep in touch with a
friend through social media.
As we become surrounded by
more digital technologies, mastering the use of social media becomes
a necessity today. Nonetheless, the
act of managing how much information to share in a public setting
can be a confusing one. This is a
phase that we, the digitally connected generation, will have to
confront together.

Sports

New blood, same goals

Three of NTU’s teams have
brushed last year’s Singapore University Games
defeats aside and are
gearing up towards this
year’s competition, which
start on 4 Sep

Aerospace Engineering.
To help out, seniors have stepped
up to fill i n t he g aps — A aron
Lin, 33, and Huang Junli, 26, are
playing dual roles of studentcoaches to the team.
“I do have experience in
coaching so I wanted to share
my knowledge and help them get
better,” said Lin, who is currently
doing his master’s degree at NIE.
Huang, who is doing a
Postgraduate Diploma in Education
at the National Institute of
Education (NIE), and Lin are
currently coaching the national
Under-17 team.
Going into the tournament
having trained together for the past
year, Chua is confident t hat t hey
will be a more cohesive team.

Kimberly Kwek
DESPITE missing out on gold last
year, NTU’s netball, handball, and
cross country teams have already
set their sights for glory in this
year’s Singapore University Games
(SUniG).

Netball

A closely-fought final saw the
NTU netball team, then defending champions, lose their title to
National University of Singapore
(NUS) during last year’s SUniG.
NTU led at half-time, but did not
sustain the lead and eventually lost
70-52.
“I don’t think we took it as a
loss, we saw it more as a journey;
it was a process that we needed to
get ourselves to the Inter-Varsity
Games,” said current netball
captain, Tan Yan Yi, 20, who was
an unused substitute in last year’s
competition.
The second-year student from
the Nanyang Business School
added: “We picked ourselves up
and the whole team carried on.”
Similar to last year, the team
will go into SUniG with a relatively
new squad because a number of
seniors have already graduated.
Players felt that the lack of team
chemistry in last year’s SUniG cost
them the title.
“I think we learnt a lot from the
player changes and how to cope
with the mentality of different
players in different seasons,” said
22-year-old Ang Kai Lin, a finalyear student from the School of
Art, Design and Media, who played
in last year’s final.
To bridge the gap between
current and incoming players, the
team started training earlier in July
as compared to previous years,
where they only began training
during the school term.
Training sessions were also
more intensive, to help less skilful
players catch up with their peers
and further boost team chemistry.
The team has also begun
training at the newly-opened
indoor sports hall, The Wave, at the

Cross country

READY, SET, GO: The cross country team puts last year’s loss behind them by clocking more hours of training for this year’s SUniG.
PHOTOS: YEO WEI LUN

Sports and Recreation Centre. The
indoor courts at the new facility
have parquet flooring, which is
similar to their tournament venue,
allowing them to better prepare for
the upcoming Games.
Despite the pressure, the team’s
main goal is to qualify for this
year’s finals.
“When we reach there, then
we’ll talk about what we’re going
to do. Now it’s really just about
taking it one game at a time,” said
Tan, who plays midcourt.
“I think this group of girls has
that level of commitment and I
think that’s what differentiates us
and is what will push us through.”

Handball

This
year’s
preparation
team
for
the
handball
focuses on developing both
physical and mental strength.
Instead of continuing their usual
practice of increasing the intensity
of their handball training sessions
only when the season approached,
the women’s team has decided to
maintain the same level of physical
training throughout the year.
Commenting on the change in
strategy, team captain Chanel Ding,
23, said: “The old regime was
pointless because we risk higher
injury and being worn out more
easily.”

CONFIDENCE IS KEY: NTU women’s handball captain Chanel Ding (right) feels that her team has
what it takes to be champions; they just need to believe in themselves.

Having the right mentality is
also important for this year’s Games
as the players prepare themselves
to enter the new season with a new
team, after many seniors graduated
last year.
“When our seniors were present,
we would look up to them and learn
from them, but we also always
relied on them,” said Toylene Teo,
22, a final-year student from the
School of Biological Sciences.
“Now that they’ve graduated,
there’s a certain pressure on us that
gives us the positive motivation to
push ourselves more.”
While the goal for this year is to
win, the most important thing for
Ding is for the team to play as one.
“I want us to be able to step on
court confident and to remain calm;
and when we step off, regardless
of the score, to feel that we’re still
champions, because that would be
phenomenal,” said Ding, a fourthyear student from the School of
Social Sciences.
For the men’s team, they will
enter the court without a coach this
year, after losing to NUS 35-22 in
the finals last year.
They were unable to find a
replacement for their previous
coach, who left after last season.
But that has not hindered the
team’s progress.
“Even though we had a coach
last year, he wasn’t around so
much. He only appeared nearing
the competition period,” said
team captain Clarence Chua,
22, a second-year student from
the School of Mechanical and

The cross country team narrowly
missed beating NUS in last year’s
SUniG, with both the male and
female teams coming in a close
second by two points.
Cross country is competed on
a points-based system where each
runner receives the points that
correspond to their placing.
The points of the first f our
runners are then added up and the
team with the lowest number of
points wins.
“Although it was close, we were
also a little disappointed. We never
know when we’ll get so close to
NUS again,” said Lester Tan, 24.
The third-year student from the
School of Social Sciences competed
in the event last year, coming in
10th overall, with his teammates
coming in third, fourth and seventh
— accumulating 24 points. Tan’s
NUS competitors came in first,
second, eighth and 11th to win the
race with a low of 22 points.
This year, the members have
decided to increase the number of
training sessions and take it upon
themselves to train, even in their
own time.
But the road to gold is not just
about training intensively.
Captain Koh Zuo Hong, a
second-year Sports Science and
Management student, emphasises a
lot on team bonding, which he said
was something they overlooked
last year.
Outside of training sessions, they
have meals together and schedule
more outings to give teammates a
chance to have fun together.
Koh said: “I hope these bonding
sessions will let everyone know
each other better and treat one
another as a second family.”

18 SPORTS

THE NANYANG

VOL.
NO.

24

CHRONICLE 01

One hit at a time: Road to KL

WORTH IT: Timothy Goh clinched the bronze medal at the 2017 SEA Games. The Republic beat Thailand 3-1 on penalties on 26 Aug, bringing Goh's medal tally to two in the last two SEA Games.
PHOTO: YEO WEI LUN

Making it to the SEA
Games is hard work.
SEA Games athlete
Timothy Goh reveals
the challenges he faced
balancing school, family,
and sports, as he prepared
for the Games last month
Darren Ching
WHEN it comes to scoring crucial
goals, the Singapore men’s hockey
team can count on Timothy Goh to
deliver the goods.
The third-year Sports Science and
Management (SSM) student bagged
the equaliser in the 2015 Southeast
Asian (SEA) Games finals against
neighbours and traditional rivals
Malaysia. The game ended with the
countries drawn at 2-2 after 70 minutes played and a penalty shoot-out
ensued, but the Republic eventually
lost 3-4 on penalties.
“Scoring the equaliser was definitely a highlight but my proudest
moment was the first time I played
for Singapore,” said the 23-year-old
centre forward, who has been playing hockey for the last 13 years.

Making the switch

Goh has come a long way since he
picked up his first hockey stick when
he was 10. At 20 years old, he was
handed his first international cap
during the Asian Games qualifiers in
Bangladesh.
But his versatility was put to the test

when the former Raffles Junior College player was asked to compete in
unfamiliar territory for last month’s
SEA Games — indoor hockey.
Indoor hockey made its debut in
last month’s Games, held from 19 to
30 Aug in Kuala Lumpur. Unlike field
hockey, which is played on an artificial turf field with 11 players on each
team, the six-a-side indoor hockey
is played on a parquet or synthetic
court, with downward sloping sideboards around the playing area.
Goh said: “At first, I was bit apprehensive having not played it (indoor
hockey) before. I thought it was a
lesser version of field hockey.
“But after the first few training sessions, the fast nature of the game got
me hooked."
Despite being a seasoned hockey
player, the Hall 16 resident took no
shortcuts and trained hard four times
a week – each session lasting four
hours or more.
On the challenges of picking up this
variant of the sport, Goh said indoor
hockey requires players to remain low
throughout the match, thus straining
their thighs and lower back.
He added that the game’s fast and
intense nature forces players to develop swifter reflexes as they have to
continuously change their direction in
a smaller court. Compared to a field
hockey pitch, which is slightly smaller
than a football field, the size of an indoor hockey court is roughly the same
as a basketball court.
To adapt to these differences, Goh
made it a point to train outside his
scheduled training sessions.
“During the summer, I went to the
gym twice and ran thrice a week in

addition to my national training sessions,” said Goh.

Sacrificing family time

As preparations for the SEA Games
intensified, Goh had to compromise
on sleep and family time. But he
made sure to prioritise his academics, by spending most of his free time
catching up on school work, even
during overseas competitions.
“I’ve went on overseas competitions
since 17, so it becomes easier to know
when to squeeze out that few extra
hours to study,” he said.
For most of the week, Goh’s classes
in the University begin at 8.30am.
After a full day of lessons, he then
travels to Woodlands Sports Stadium
from NTU for training, leaving him
with as little as five hours of sleep
each day.
But this was not the biggest sacrifice Goh had to make.
Weekend training trips saw him
missing numerous extended family
gatherings in the past five months. He
even had to cancel on family holidays
on other occasions.
While his parents have been supportive of his pursuits, Goh, an only
child, said: “I look forward to such adventures when training trips take me
to places like Australia or Bangladesh,
but it’s unfortunate not being able to
travel with my family for so long.”
Though balancing work, life and
sport has not been the easiest of tasks,
he has no intention of giving up hockey anytime soon.
“So long as I continue to be selected
and my body is able, I want to continue playing for the nation until I grow
old,” he said.

* fixtures are for sports featured in this issue of the Nanyang Chronicle.

VOL.
NO.

24

SPORTS

THE NANYANG

01 CHRONICLE

19

The future is female for football
Football may be viewed by many as a “man’s sport”, but women’s football is fast gaining popularity around the
world, including in Singapore
play and be aggressive before the
respect is earned.”

Going for gold

The NTU women’s football team
has already shown that they are not
to be trifled with.

“When I mention that

I play soccer, men will
just stare at me and
think I'm joking.”
Bhanu Krishnasamy, 22
NTU footballer

Adeena Nagib
FOOTBALL used to be a sport that
only men would play professionally in Singapore. But now, more
women are swapping their heels for
muddy boots instead.
Since 2017, the Women’s Premier League (WPL), the top tier of
women’s football in Singapore, has
been divided into two divisions —
the WPL and a new Women’s National League.
With this new two-tier playing
structure, aimed at meeting the increasing demand for women’s football in the Republic, five additional
teams have registered to compete.
There are now 14 women’s football
clubs, an increase from 11 in 2016.

“Football is a sport.
It doesn't matter if
you're a woman or a
man playing it. The
ball is round, so (you
just need to) kick it.”
Nur Syafiqah, 21
NTU and Singapore footballer
Even in video games, women’s
football has shown progress. In
2015, 12 women’s national teams
were featured in FIFA 16, an Electronic Arts (EA) football simulation video game, featuring nota-

ble countries like England and the
United States.
In EA’s latest version, FIFA 17,
the number of teams increased to
14 with the inclusion of Norway
and New Zealand.
But challenges remain for Singapore’s female football teams.
The Singapore women’s national
team, the Lionesses, were unable
to compete in the recent Southeast
Asian (SEA) Games.
The requirement set by the Singapore National Olympic Council to compete in the Games was
to achieve at least a draw against
Myanmar in the Asian Football
Confederation Asian Cup Qualifiers
back in April, but the team ended
up losing 4-0.
Nur Syafiqah Peer Mohamed,
21, who plays for both the NTU
women’s football team and the Lionesses, shared that despite the setback, she remains optimistic about
the future of women’s football in
Singapore.
“We are still developing, and we
see improvement,” said Syafiqah,
a second-year student from the
School of Civil and Environmental
Engineering.
“I was disappointed but now,
2019’s SEA Games is the goal.”
Despite her optimism, changing traditional mindsets about the
sport remains a challenge. Women’s football is often deemed to be
played only for recreation and is
not seen as a priority.
Syafiqah’s mother, for instance,

PHOTOS: YEO WEI LUN

“Women are more
eager to learn and
are always asking
questions. With men,
they believe that they
know, so they don't
always listen.”

In the past decade, they have
won the championship title nine
consecutive times, save for their
loss to National University of Singapore in the Singapore University
Games (SUniG) last year.
With new head coach Mohammad Herman Zailani, the team’s
training regime has intensified and
the girls remain hungry to bring
the gold home.
“I can see their desire to win,”
said the 37-year-old.
“They are dedicated and want
success, making it easier for me to
work with them.”
Having previously coached the
Singapore Management University
(SMU) women’s football team for a
year in 2006, Mr Herman has seen
the support for women’s football
increase significantly.
“Support was minimal then. The
SMU girls had to go out of school
to train and even pay for their
coaches,” he said.

“Now, NTU trains twice a week
and has a goalkeeper coach alongside a head coach.”
The former Tampines Rovers
Football Club coach notes that
there is a stark difference between
coaching a men’s team and a women’s team.
“Women are more eager to learn
and are always asking questions.
With men, they believe that they
know, so they don’t always listen,”
he said.
The Lionesses are currently
placed 98th out of 177 countries
in the Fifa rankings, comparatively higher than the ranking for the
men’s football team at 171st out of
211 countries.
But Mr Herman concedes that
there is still room for improvement
for female footballers.
The difference in technical ability between men and women footballers is substantial, mostly due to
females starting at a later age than
males because of a lack of competitive opportunities.
“Girls mostly start playing at
the tertiary level. Starting off late
makes it an even bigger challenge
because football is not an easy
sport to master,” he said.
Despite this hurdle, the head
coach believes that Singapore’s
best route to international success
is through women’s football.
Mr Herman added: “Women’s
football is relatively new everywhere, so we’re at the same footing
as everyone else.
“Except for teams like USA and
Germany, Singapore is not as far
off from the rest as compared to
men’s football.”

Mr Mohammad Herman Zailani, 37
Head Coach
NTU women's football team
was hesitant about her pursuing
football, saying that women can
only play until a certain age “before having to find a husband and
settle down.”
But Syafiqah, a Manchester United fan, refuted.
“Football is a sport. It doesn’t
matter if you’re a woman or a man
playing it. The ball is round, so (you
need to) just kick it.”
Bhanu Krishnasamy, 22, agrees
with her NTU teammate Syafiqah.
Having a petite built, Bhanu said
her male peers often doubt her ability to play football.
“When I mention that I play soccer, men will just stare at me and
think I’m joking,” said the 1.45-metre tall midfielder.
Bhanu, a first-year Sports Science and Management student
added: “It’s the stereotype. You
have to show them that you can